School teachers march in protest of MNS attack

Faculty from DAV school in Nerul carry out protests against the attack on their principal; contemplate on meeting MNS chief to avoid any such incidents in the future

School teachers march in protest of MNS attack

Faculty from DAV school in Nerul carry out protests against the attack on their principal; contemplate on meeting MNS chief to avoid any such incidents in the future

After the violence and chaos that broke out at DAV school in Nerul between teachers and workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Wednesday, teachers carried out a protest rally against the party workers and also demanded an apology from MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

Confirming the same, a teacher said, "Initially we shouted slogans against MNS and also demanded for an apology from Raj Thackeray. However, we have decided to hold a discussion with Thackeray so that such incidences do not occur in the future because it directly affects the safety of our students."

Jose Kurian, principal of DAV school said, "After Wednesday's violence, we are concerned about the children's safety and want to avoid such situations in the future. We are contemplating on meeting with Thackeray to discuss the matter and clear any misunderstandings that might have transpired. However, we have not yet decided how we will approach him."

However, there were reports that the teachers' rally was held without taking permission from the police, which prompted authorities from the NRI police station to take strict action against the school. "When we were informed that the rally is being held by teachers of DAV school without any prior permission, we rushed to the spot immediately. The rally in the absence of police presence could have been dangerous as there were number of students in the rally. We were supposed to file a complaint against the school authorities, but we did not," said a police official of NRI police, on the condition of anonymity.

When contacted, Dilip Jagtap, assistant commissioner of Navi Mumbai,u00a0 refused the reports that the rally was held without permission. "The school had sought permission from the police to hold a rally on Thursday morning," said Jagtap.

Meanwhile, schools in Navi Mumbai will remain shut for the next three days as a mark of protest. All schools will reopen on Monday.